Electrically-operated semaphore mechanism.



J. I. WEBB, JR. ELEGTRIOALLY OPERATED SEMAPHORE MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1903.

Patented Nov/24, 1908.

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904,741 Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

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APPLIOATION FILED MAY 12, 1908.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

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J. F. WEBB, JR. ELEGTRIGALLY OPERATED SEMAPHORE MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. 190B.

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J. F. WEBB, JR.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1908.

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J. F. WEBB, JR. ELEGTRIGALLY OPERATED SEMAPHORE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1908.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

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904,741. Patented N0v.24, 1908.

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when the pawl 5 is released from engagement with the disk 3 as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The relay 20 consists of a frame 2O hav ing the front U-shaped bracket 20 in which a shaft 20 is mounted. The frame 2O supports the magnets 20 which are suitably insulated from the frame 20 as indicated. A bracket 2O has bearings 20 for the armature 20 that cooperates with the magnet 20 In order to close the local motor circuit a spring 20 on the armature engages the frame 20' and the armature is held locked in its circuit closing position by a shoulder 20 on an insulating block 20", on the gravity operated shaft 20 (see Figs. 8, 9 and 10). The shaft 20 may be directly operated by a lever 20 or a supplemental shaft 20 may be geared to the shaft 2O by gears 20 the lever having sufficient weight to gravitate to its normal position to hold the block 20 in position. The circuit closer 30, which is best shown in Figs. 3 and 11, comprises the rotatable shafts 3030' respectively, the shaft 30 having a pair of weighted arms 30 and 30 that are provided with T contact members 30 30 the contact member 30 cooperating with a pair of fixed contacts 31'-31 while the contact member 30 cooperates with a pair of fixed contacts 32 32, hereinafter again referred to. The weight of the members 30 -30 serves to hold the contacts 3030 out of engagement with their respective fixed contacts and to hold the operating lever 35 of the shaft 30" in its normal position, shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The shaft 30 has an operating lever 36 which is held in a position similar to the le ver 35 when in its normal position, by the weight of the arm 33 which carries the T contact 33 to make contact with a pair of fixed contacts 3-it -3t secured to the casing of the circuit closer 30 in a manner similar to the securing of the contacts 31 and 32 hereinbefore referred to. The contacts 31 are connected to the line wires X and Z by connections 31, as indicated in Fig. 12, while the contacts 32 are connected with the signal circuit in the local operators station C (see'Fig. 12) the local signal being indicated by the reference character 32 and includes the source of electric energy 32 and the relay 32 of any approved type, the relay 32 serving to operate a local signal circuit 32 which includes a local source of electric energy 32 and a signal 32 as indicated in Fig. 12 of the drawings. The contacts 345 are connected respectively through leads 349 with track contacts 34 arranged adjacent to the track D adjacent to the semaphore B (Fig. 12).

The track contacts 34: are used for closing an electric circuit carried by the train that automatically stopping the train wien the train carried contacts come into engagement with the track contacts 34, and such train stopping mechanism is not disclosed in this application since it per 86 forms no part of my present invention, but forms the subjectmatter of another co-pending application.

In order to prevent the too sudden raising of the semaphore blade to its danger posi tion, I provide a dash-pot 11, whose piston rod 11 is adapted to beengaged by an arm 3" carried by the disk 3 as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The dash-pot 11 is constructed as best shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, by reference to which it will be seen that the piston rod 11 is provided with a piston 11 that carries a washer 11, the piston 11 being secured by a screw 11 and a pin 11 to prevent the piston turning. The dashpot is closed by the removable cap 11 into which a nipple 11 is threaded, the nipple 11 having a central bore 11 and a threaded portion 11 to receive an adjustable valve stem 11 that is held locked by a hood 11 which acts as a jam nut as well as a water shed. The nipple 11 also has an outlet aperture 11 whereby the air ahead of the piston 11 can pass through the aper ture 11 and be exhausted to atmosphere, the escape of air being regulated by the valve stem 11.

Operation: So far as described, the manner in which my invention operates will be best explained as follows: Assume the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 3, with the signal or semaphore at its danger position, and assume that it is desired to return the signal to its safety position. The train despatcher, or tower operator, in his station A, (see Fig. 12) closes his key K to close the circuit through the line wires X and Y, which operates the semaphore relay 20, thus closing the local motor circuit 15, by reason of the fact that the relay magnets 20 are energized and attract their armature 20 to the position shown in Fig. 10, to close the circuit between the bracket 20 and the frame 20, thus closing the local circuit 15 (see Fig. 12). The local circuit includes the motor and the source of electrical energy 15 thus starting the motor 1 to operate. The motor transmits its motion through the worm 1 to the gear 2 to turn the shaft 2, and cause the pinion 2 to turn the gear 4? on the shaft 4. The movement of the gear 4! is imparted through a sleeve 48 to the pinion 4 which in turn turns the gear 2 that carries with it the mutilated gear 2 hen the gear et begins to turn the segment 4 will engage the pawl 5 (the pawl being wider than the disk 3) and lift it out of the notch 3 so that when the gear portion of the mutilated gear 2 comes into engagement with the gear 3 on the semaphore shaft 3,

the shaft 3 is turned in the direction of the includes a suitable train stopping device for arrow in Fig. 3, to lower the blade 7 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. As the shaft 3 reaches the limit of its movement in moving the blade down, the pawl 5 will enter the notch 3 in the disk 3 and lock the shaft 3 in position. As soon as the shaft 3 is thus locked one of the pins 2 on the gear 2 will engage the lever 2O of the relay 20, and move it in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 10, to release the arn'iatnre 20 and break the local motor circuit 15, and tlms stop the operation of the motor 1. lVhenever the motor 1 is at rest, the mutilated portion of the gear 2 is in alinement with the gear 3 and the teeth of the gear 2 do not engage those of the gear 3 Furthermore, after the motor 1 starts to run. it takes some few seconds before the mutilated portion of the mutilated gear passes alinement with the gear portion of the gear 3 and the teeth of the mutilated gear become engaged with those of the gear 3, thus giving the motor an opportunity to gain its full speed before the load is thrown upon it.

After the signal is in its safety position, see dotted lines in Fig. 41, and the operator at the signal or despatchefs office A, (Fig. 12) desires to set the signal to its danger position, he closes his key again and again energizes the relay 20 in the semaphore to permit it to close the local circuit 15 and set the motor in operation again. As soon as the motor 1 starts the gear et begins to rotate until the pin l trips the pawl 5 to release the disk 3. and as the smooth portion of the gear 2 is in alinement with the gear 3 the weight of the spectacle carriers T -7 will move the semaphore to its danger position. one of the pins 2 on the gear 2 engages the lever 90 of the relay 20 and cuts out the motor circuit before the teeth of the mutilated gear engage with the gear on the sema phore shaft. As the semaphore moves from its safety to its danger position, the pin 3 will temporarily engage the arm and momentarily close the return signal circuit through wires 31 and the line wires X and Z to operate the signal K in the despatchers office A (see Fig. 12) to indicate to the despatcher that the semaphore has operated. The temporary engagement of the arm will also cause the circuit to be momentarily clo ed to operate the relay 32* and call the at ention of the local agent to the fact that the semaphore has been set. As the semaphore arrives at its danger position the pin 3 will have released the arm and will engage the arm 36, causing the track circuit to be closed at the contacts 3 -3 and stay closed there as long as the semaphore is in its danger position.

The circuits disclosed in Fig. 12, are merely shown to indicate a way in which the semaphore can be operated, but my semaphore is adapted to be used in connection with the train controlling system, which forms the subject-matter of another application.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction, operation and numerous advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

\Vhat I claim is:-

1. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft. semaphore signals carried thereby. a motor having a rotatable drive shaft. a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, and a train of gears connecting the motor shaft with the semaphore gear. said train of gears including a mutilated gear substan tially as shown and described.

2. In a semaphore mechanism. a rotatable semaphore shaft. semaphore signals carried thereby. a motor having a rotatable drive shaft. a gear carried by the semaphore shaft. gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear. said gear connections inc uding a n'mtilated gear. and means independent of the ears for holding the semaphore shaft locked at times.

n a sema hore me hanism. a rota able semaphore shaft. semaphore si na s carried thereby. a mo or ha in a rotatable dri e shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore s aft. O'car c nnecti ns between the mo or shaft and the se aphore o'ear. said ear conneci ns inchidin a muti a ed ro n means independen o th ears for holdino' t e semapho e haf o lzod at times. and eans carr ed by said train of gears to release said lockin means at times.

l. n a sc a h re m anism. a r t s maphore shaft. Semaphore si 'n q arri d H 1 bV pint nlioiipo' potnl'olilo tli'i o shaft. a gear carri d by the s maphore sha t. ear connecti ns between t e mo r s aft and tho gmpap oro oan said c i'inoc i ns i cludin a utilated o'ear ('oi p r ino' wi the soi'naphoro 'oar. m ns f r din s id s ma hore s aft loclt d fr r i'm in u directi n. and a second pumps for h h it locked from r tati n in th oppo i di cion. and se arate means for releasing said lockin means.

Tn a sema hore mechanism. a rotatahh semaphore shaft. semaphore si na s car i d thereby. a motor ha in a rotat ble dri e shaft. a ear carried by the s maphore s af gear connections between the mot r shaft and the semaph re 'car. said nn ions inc uding a inntilated gear c thwrmq with the semaphore gear, means for holding said semaphore shaft locked from rotation in one direction, a second means for holding it locked from rotation in the opposite direction, and means for releasing said locking means.

6. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said connections including a mutilated gear cooperating with the semaphore gear, means for holding said semaphore shaft locked from rotation in one direction, and a second means for holding it locked from rotation in the opposite direction, and separate means for releasing said locking means, said releasing means comprising members carried by said train of gears to engage the locking means as the gears rotate.

7. A semaphore comprising a rotatable semaphore shaft carrying semaphore signals, a rotatable shaft electric motor for rotating said semaphore shaft at times, a train of gears including a mutilated gear connecting the motor shaft with the semaphore shaft, an electric circuit for said motor and including a source of electric energy, and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the train of gears for operating said circuit breaker at times to open the motor circuit.

8. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, and gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said gear connections including a mutilated gear, an electric circuit for said motor and including a source of electric energy, and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the train of gears for operating said circuit breaker to open the motor circuit.

9. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, and gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said gear connections including a mutilated gear cooperating with the semaphore gear, an electric circuit for said motor and including a source of electric energy and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the train of gears for operating said circuit breaker to open the motor circuit.

10. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said gear connections including a mutilated gear, means for holding the semaphore shaft locked at times, an electric circuit for said motor and including a source of electric energy and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the train of gears for operating said circuit breaker at times to open the motor circuit.

11. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said gear connections including a mutilated gear, means for holding the semaphore shaft locked at times, means carried by said train of gears to release said locking means at times, an electric circuit for said motor and including a source of electric energy and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the train of gears for operating said circuit breaker at times to open the motor circuit.

12. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said connections including a mutilated gear cooperati'g with the semaphore gear, means for holding said semaphore shaft locked from rotation in one direction, a second means for holding it locked from rotation in the opposite direction, separate means for releasing said looking means, an electric circuit for said motor and including a source of electric energy and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the train of gears for operating said circuit breaker at times to open the motor circuit.

13. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said connections including a mutilated gear cooperating with the semaphore gear, means for holding said semaphore shaft locked from rotation in one direction, a second means for holding it locked from rotation in the opposite direction, means for releasing said locking means, an electric circuit for said motor and including a source of electric energy, and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the train of gears for operating said circuit breaker at times to open the motor circuit.

14:. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, gear connections between themotor shaft and the semaphore gear, said connections including a mutilated gear cooperating with the semaphore gear, means for holding said semaphore shaft locked from rotation in one direction, a second means for holding it locked from rotation in the opposite direction, separate means for releasing said locking means, said releasing means comprising members carried by said train of gears to engage the locking means as the gears rotate, an electric circuit for said motor including a source of electric energy and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the train of gears for operating said circuit breaker at times to open the motor circuit.

15. A semaphore comprising a rotatable semaphore shaft, carrying semaphore signals, a rotatable shaft electric motor for rotating said semaphore shaft at times, a train of gears connecting the motor shaft with the semaphore shaft, said train of gears including a mutilated gear an electric circuit for said motor and including a source of electric energy, and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the train of gears for operating said circuit breaker at times to open the motor circuit, and means for closing the motor circuit at times to operate the train of gears.

16. A semaphore comprising a rotatable semaphore shaft carrying semaphore signals, a rotatable shaft electric motor for rotating said semaphore shaft at times, a train of gears connecting the motor shaft with the semaphore shaft, said train of gears including a mutilated gear an electric circuit for said motor including a circuit maker and breaker, electrically controlled means for operating the circuit maker and breaker to close the motor circuit.

17. A semaphore comprising a rotatable semaphore shaft carrying semaphore signals, a rotatable shaft electric motor for rotating said semaphore shaft at times, a train of gears connecting the motor shaft with the semaphore shaft, said train of gears including a mutilated gear an electric circuit for said motor including a circuit maker and breaker, electrically controlled means for operating the circuit maker and breaker to close the motor circuit, and mechanically operated means for operating the circuit maker and breaker to break the motor circuit at times.

18. A semaphore comprising a rotatable semaphore shaft carryin semaphore signals, a rotatable shaft electric motor for rotating said semaphore shaft at times, a train of gears including a mutilated gear connecting the motor shaft with the semaphore shaft, an electric circuit for said motor including a circuit maker and breaker, electrically controlled means for operating the circuit maker and breaker to close the motor circuit, a return signal circuit including a circuit closer,

a source of electric energy, and a signal, and means controlled by the rotation of the semaphore shaft for operating said circuit closer.

19. A semaphore comprising a rotatable semaphore shaft carrying semaphore signals, a rotatable shaft electric motor, a train of gears including a mutilated gear connecting the motor with the semaphore shaft, a locking disk carried by the sei'naphore shaft, locking pawls cooperating with said locking disk, and means iarried by one of said train of gears for releasing said locking pawls at times, an electric circuit for said motor including a circuit maker and breaker, electrically controlled means for operating the circuit maker and breaker to close the motor circuit, means carried by one of the train of gears for operating the circuit maker and breaker to brcz k the motor circuit at times, a return signal circuit including a circuit closer, a source of electric energy and a signal, and means carried by said locking disk for operating said return signal circuit closer.

20. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said gear connections including a mutilated gear, means for holding the semaphore shaft locked at times, a local motor circuit for said motor including relay and a local source of electric energy, an electric operating circuit also including said relay and a. circuit closing member under the control of the tower operator for closing the operating circuit to work the relay to close the motor circuit, and means carried by the gear connections be tween the motor shaft and the semaphore gear for operating said relay to break the motor circuit.

21. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said gear connections including a mutilated gear, means for holding the semaphore shaft locked at times, a local motor circuit for said motor including a relay and a local source of electric energy, an electric operating circuit also including said relay and a circuit closing member under the control of the tower open ator for closing the operating circuit to work the relay to close the motor circuit, means carried by the gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear for operating said relay to break the motor circuit, and another circuit closer cooperating with the semaphore shaft, and means carried by the semaphore shaft for working said other circuit closer, and an electric circuit including said other circuit closer.

22. A semaphore comprising a rotatable shaft, semaphore signals directly mounted thereon, a rotatable shaft electric motor, a train of gears connecting said motor with said semaphore shaft to rotate it in one direction, mechanical means for locking the semaphore shaft from rotating in either direction, means for operatively disconnecting the semaphore shaft from the motor at times, means carried by said train of gears actuated by the motor for releasing the looking means to permit the semaphore shaft to turn, and gravity operated devices for turning said semaphore shaft in one direction when released to bring the signals to their danger position.

23. A semaphore comprising a rotatable semaphore shaft carrying semaphore signals, a rotatable shaft electric motor geared with said semaphore shaft to rotate it in one direction, mechanical means for locking said semaphore shaft from rotation in either di rection, means for operatively disconnecting thesemaphore shaft from the motor at times, a motor controlled means for releasing the locking means to permit the semaphore shaft to turn, gravity operated devices for turning said semaphore shaft when released to bring the signals to their danger position, and a dash-pot connected with the semaphore shaft for checking the movement of the shaft to bring the signals into the danger position.

24. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, a gear carried by the semaphore shaft, gear connections between the motor shaft and the semaphore gear, said gear connections including a mutilated gear, means independent of the gears for holding the semaphore shaft locked attimes, means carried by said train of gears to release said locking means at times, said signals being weighted to rotate the semaphore shaft in one direction when the locking means is released.

25. In a semaphore mechanism, a rotatable semaphore shaft, semaphore signals carried thereby and weighted to turn the shaft normally in one direction, means for limiting the movement of said shaft, in one direction, a motor having a rotatable drive shaft, gear connections between the semaphore shaft and the drive shaft to turn the semaphore in another direction by the action of the motor, means for operatively disconnecting the motor shaft from the semaphore shaft at times to permit the semaphore shaft being rotated under its gravitational movement, means for holding said semaphore shaft locked from rotation in one direction and another means for holding it locked from rotation in the opposite direction, motor operated means for releasing each of said locking means at times, an electric circuit for said motor including a source of electric energy and a circuit breaker, and means controlled by the operation of the gears for operating the circuit breaker at times to open the motor circuit, a means disposed at a distance from the semaphore for controlling the closing of the motor circuit, a return signal circuit including a circuit closer at the semaphore and operable by the rotation of the semaphore shaft to indicate the position of the semaphore signals.

JEAN F. WEBB, JR.

lVitnesses JAMES J. RAGAN, GEO. C. SoHMrr'rBnRcnn. 

